


Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

by dani_grl82



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, Future Fic, Holiday Fic Exchange, Klaroline Winter Wonderland, Post-Canon, Reunited and It Feels So Good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-28
Updated: 2015-12-28
Packaged: 2018-05-09 22:02:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5557169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dani_grl82/pseuds/dani_grl82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caroline Forbes finds herself alone and depressed the night before Christmas Eve. If only there was someway, or better yet someone, to cheer her up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cupcakemolotov](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cupcakemolotov/gifts).



> For cupcakemolotov: Merry Christmas! I hope this drabble is fluffy enough for you and that you had a wonderful holiday. It was a pleasure getting writing this for you :)

Caroline Forbes was many things but a loner wasn’t one of them. Sure she enjoyed the occasional month or two on her own, but overall she preferred the company of others. For a long time, too long when she thinks back now, that company included all her friends from Mystic Falls. After one too many near death experiences though, she finally said goodbye to them and all the drama surrounding them.

Caroline had spent a few decades exploring the world, meeting new people, and even had a few relationships. She’d gone back to school as well and now had degrees in Communication, Business Management, and Journalism. She’d learned over the years to put herself first and though she’d been on her own she had never felt alone. She was good at making friends and she had a few spread out over the globe. But she never really stayed anywhere long enough to form truly lasting relationships. For whatever reason, Caroline continued to feel unsettled in her life.

Maybe that’s why she’d decided to spend the holidays with her friends this year. It was tough going but they’d gotten over most of the shit from their mutual time together and made a point to try and see each other at least once a year. The response was less than stellar though.

Bonnie and Enzo already had plans to go on a couples cruise while Stefan and Damon were celebrating back in Mystic Falls. Stefan had offered her a room in the boarding house and while the idea of visiting her mom’s grave held some appeal, she ultimately declined when she heard Damon in the background making snide remarks about welcoming her home properly. Caroline and Stefan had only recently begun to repair their friendship and the last thing she wanted to do was ruin that by decapitating his brother. Stefan did offer her an alternative though –his apartment in New York City.  

“It overlooks Central Park, you’re close to Rockefeller Center. I think you’d like it.”

Caroline considered Stefan’s words. She loved New York City and it had been a while since she’d been back. Plus she could do some shopping. Shoe therapy was the best kind of therapy.

“Ok, thanks Stefan. That would be great. Oh wait, how will I –” but he cut her off before she could finish her question.

“Don’t worry about it,” Stefan said, “I’ll call ahead. The Doorman will have a spare set of keys for you. Make yourself at home, Caroline and feel free to stay as long as you’d like.”

Caroline smiled at his words. Whatever had happened in the past, she was glad they were getting to be friends again. “Thanks Stefan, that’s very generous. I promise not to burn the place down.”

He laughed and they chatted for a few more minutes before saying goodbye. Although Caroline was bummed she wouldn’t be seeing him for the holidays, she was excited about the prospect of spending a few weeks in a swanky Central Park apartment. And knowing Stefan’s taste, it was going to be swanky.

* * *

 

Caroline was not disappointed. The apartment itself was beautiful. All marble floors and twelve-foot high ceilings. The bedrooms were palatial and when she saw the bathroom she actually moaned. The tub was jetted and she was pretty sure the shower was also a steam room. She chose the bedroom that overlooked the park. Stefan was right; the view really was incredible. 

She spent the first few days reacquainting herself with the city. She went to the Met and saw Hamilton, which was totally worth the hype. And of course she shopped. She bought a few pairs of shoes at Barney’s and some diamond earrings from Tiffany’s and she’d found the most gorgeous little black dress at Oscar de la Renta. Caroline wasn’t sure yet where she would wear it, but she’d figure it out. In the evenings when she settled down to try and relax was when the loneliness would start to set in. Which was silly; she’d spent plenty of holidays alone before so there was no reason this one should be different.

The feeling only got worse the closer it got to Christmas. Caroline thought about decorating the apartment to add a little holiday spirit but the idea of doing it alone and then not having anyone to enjoy it with only made her more depressed. It was the day before Christmas Eve and Caroline was having a full on pity party. She’d ordered enough Chinese food to feed a small army and had even found a liquor store that delivered. She was watching the Hallmark Channel’s Holiday Movie Marathon and was currently on her second bottle of wine while finishing off her third helping of spicy chicken. Full of booze and food, Caroline settled back against the couch as the movie started wrapping up. Normally she loved Hallmark movies because they provided the maximum amount of happiness and cheesiness. But it just wasn’t working for her tonight.

With a sigh she switched off the movie and grabbed her phone, heading for the bedroom. She was just tipsy enough that she figured if she laid down for ten minutes she’d probably fall asleep. She changed into her pjs and settled down onto the bed, turning onto her side so she could look out at the park and the city skyline. The snow that still clung to the branches and the ground reflected the lights from the city, giving the city an ethereal glow. A few flakes were still falling and Caroline followed their path with her eyes as they floated past the bedroom window. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she thought of Klaus.  

It’d been close to a half century since she last saw him; although she still liked to relive those stolen moments in the woods from time to time. They’d talked on the phone a few times but it had been almost a decade since the last time she’d heard his voice. Grabbing her phone, she shuffled through her Contacts list until she found Klaus Mikaelson. She doubted the number was still good after all this time but something tightened in Caroline’s chest as she stared at it.  _ Maybe hearing a friendly voice will lift my spirits, _ she thought. Before she could overthink it, she selected his name and raised the phone to her ear, turning back to gaze out the window.

Caroline held her breath as the phone rang. She tensed when the phone line picked up but immediately relaxed when the automated voice-lady recited the phone number and asked her to leave a message after the beep. She was tempted to hang up but figured she’d already made it that far; she might as well follow through. She could always blame the wine if she regretted it in the morning.

“Hi Klaus, it’s Caroline, Caroline Forbes. I hope this is still Klaus’ phone because i really want to talk to him and if it’s not I apologize for the rambling message you’re about to get.” Caroline took a second to clear her throat, the alcohol making it hard for her to focus. “You’re probably wondering why i’m calling and before you freak out let me assure you I’m fine and that no one is dead or dying, at least not that I know of. I’m...I’m just calling to say 'hi,’ I guess. I’m laying here in bed watching the snow and it made me think of you! And then when I started thinking about you I realized it had been years, years Klaus! Since we last talked and that’s ridiculous! I mean ok so we’re not best friends but that’s no excuse for like ten years of radio silence and maybe I should have picked up the phone sooner but the phone works both ways and you could have called me too. In fact why haven’t you called me-”

Caroline stopped mid ramble and took another second to collect herself. “Sorry that’s not -anyway what I meant to say, Klaus Mikaelsson, is that I am totally fine being alone for Christmas and that I don’t need to hear your voice or anyone’s voices for that matter to make myself feel better… Yeah I’m totally fine here because the shopping is amazing and the park is so pretty and… I don’t even care that there’s not a Christmas tree or that I can’t smell my mom’s gingerbread cookies baking.”

Caroline was shocked to realize she was crying.  _ When did that happen? _ she wondered. She wiped the tears from under her eyes and gave a small laugh before continuing. “Sorry, I don’t mean to unload on you. Again, I was just calling to say ‘hi’ and wish you a Merry Christmas. I hope you and your family have a good holiday and if you’re not too busy you should give me call sometime and we can catch up. Bye, Klaus.

She disconnected the call and put her phone back on the nightstand. She was sad she didn’t get to hear his voice; there’d always been something about his accent that sent shivers down her spine. Caroline’s last thought before succumbing to sleep was that she hoped the number was still good. Otherwise she might do something even stupider than leaving him a drunken message, like going down to New Orleans to look for him.

* * *

 

When Caroline got up the next morning, she thanked her vampire abilities for her lack of hangover. She recalled leaving Klaus a drunken voicemail but she couldn’t remember exactly what she said. In the end she decided not to worry about it unless she heard from him. She was tempted to spend another day lounging around the house but rejected the idea almost right away. She would not let this weird melancholy beat her; she was determined to enjoy the next two days even if it killed her.

So Caroline bundled up and set out to enjoy the city. She went to Saks and found gifts to send to her friends as well as another pair of shoes for herself. She arranged to have them delivered to the apartment before stopping to grab a bite to eat. Then she walked through Central Park before making her way over to Rockefeller Center. The Christmas tree they had there was massive and possibly Caroline’s favorite thing about New York City during the holidays. It was while she stood gazing at the tree that she felt a sudden itch between her shoulder blades. It felt like someone was watching her. She glanced around, trying to determine where the gaze was coming from but no one stood out to her. Shrugging her shoulders she turned back to the tree but the moment was gone. She snapped a few pics with her phone before deciding to head back to Stefan’s. 

She stopped to chat with the Doorman and grab her purchases before wishing him a Happy Holiday and heading for the elevator. Caroline dug for the keys that always somehow ended up at the bottom of her purse as she exited the elevator and made her way to Stefan’s front door. She slid the key into the lock and pushed the door open but she came to an abrupt halt when she saw what was waiting for her inside.

The whole apartment was decked out in lights and garland. There was a massive tree by the window, which was adorned with all kinds of ornaments and tinsel. There were even a few presents under the tree. And there, in the center of it all, stood Klaus. And man was he a sight for sore eyes. Her eyes swept over his form and dammit all if they didn’t start to water. He gave that smirk she liked to think was just for her and said, “Hello, Caroline.”

“Klaus.” Caroline was proud her voice didn’t tremble too much. “What is this? What are you doing here?”

“I got your message, love.”

“Oh God, I'm so embarrassed. I had way too much to drink last night. I hope i didn’t say anything too idiotic.”

“On the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised to hear from you, though I admit I was saddened to hear of your predicament,” he motioned towards the apartment. “So I took it upon myself to see to it that you had a proper holiday. I did have to compel a few people to make it happen but I’m hoping you’ll forgive me.” 

As he spoke she started remembering snippets of the night before. She recalled telling him she didn’t need anyone and that she would be fine on her own. And now here he was surrounded by decorations and bathed in twinkle lights and she couldn’t remember anything ever looking this wonderful.

She dropped her purchases and her coat and purse and launched herself into his arms. He caught her with ease and wrapped his arms around her. It was amazing how something as simple as a hug could carry so much weight. They held each other for what felt like a lifetime but was likely only a few moments. When Caroline pulled away she didn’t release him. Instead she placed her hands on his cheeks and drew his face down for a kiss. It was sweet and chaste and for some reason it felt like home. Caroline pressed her forehead against his and when she opened her eyes to look up at him he was smiling. It was a sight she could far too easily get used to.

“Thank you, for this. This is maybe the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

“You’re welcome, Caroline. You know I’d do anything for you.”

He meant it too, she was sure of it. Even after all these years, she could still count on him.

“So tell me Klaus, is this going to be a short visit? Or do you have a few days to spare?”

“For you, love, I have all eternity.”

Not only did he stay through Christmas but he also ended up flying them to Paris for the New Year. It wasn’t the first time Caroline had been there but it felt like it with Klaus at her side. They walked along the Seine and ate at little cafes. He took her to the Louvre and told her stories about the artists that no guide could ever be privy to. And at night he made love to her like he did that day in the woods. Raw, passionate; it was like they couldn’t get enough of each other. When the clock struck twelve, Klaus kissed her underneath a canopy of fireworks.

“Happy New Year, Sweetheart.”

“Happy New Year, Klaus,” she smiled at him and leaned in for another kiss. “I have a good feeling about this one.”

**Author's Note:**

> So i don't watch the vampire diaries or the originals anymore but i'm hoping i was still able to capture the characters correctly. Huge thanks to Jess for being my beta-you make me look good. Happy Holidays and i hope everyone enjoyed this! Come follow me on tumblr!


End file.
